Known safety means (cf. e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 4,658,529 A, DE 4 013 124 A and AT 411 934 B) either act on the firing mechanism (hammer or firing pin) or on the trigger mechanism or on the trigger of firearms. In the simplest case, the safety means consist of a block inserted in the trigger guard. These devices are effective in the most varying situations. Nevertheless, security flaws still exist which above all may become critical with privately owned pistols, e.g. if an ignorant or curious person, such as a child, seizes the pistol. Thus, these known safety means in most cases cannot prevent repeating of the pistol by retracting the slide. In doing so, either a round can be inserted into the cartridge chamber or a live round can be ejected if there is still a round in the weapon (which happens frequently), or if the user has forgotten to remove the magazine or, at least, to unload. However, live rounds are always a source of danger.
On the other hand, it has been suggested—cf. e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 4,224,753 A, to insert a dummy cartridge into the cartridge chamber and to connect it with a rod extending through the barrel, which rod may also be replaced by a cord, wherein the rod or cord, respectively, at the muzzle is connected to a lock which can only be removed by means of a special tool or key. This safety of pistols has been particularly proposed for sales outlets and is comparatively cumbersome to use.
A locking device for a pistol is further known from U.S. Pat. No. 6,052,934 A. In detail, this locking device comprises a plate-shaped, elongated locking body which, with the slide retracted, is pushed from the top side through the cartridge ejection port and furthermore, through the magazine well in the pistol stock, the end of the locking body projecting at the bottom from the pistol stock being secured by a padlock; at the upper end of the locking body, a transverse pin extends transversely to the ejection port, with the transverse pin resting on the slide with both of its ends such that with the padlock attached, the locking device can no longer be removed from the pistol. With this type of safety, it is i.a. disadvantageous that a certain movability of the locking body within the pistol is unavoidable, whereby possibly fine-mechanical components which are present in the slide, in the region of the trigger mechanism, of the ejector etc., may become damaged. Add to this that mounting as well as the removal of this locking device is comparatively cumbersome.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,532,729 A discloses a magazine-type locking body which, in its active locking position, blocks a trigger directly or indirectly; or blocks a bolt carrier with the aid of an advanced screw engaging into a locking hole of the bolt carrier; or blocks a breech face by means of a lug, thereby blocking introduction of ammunition into the firing chamber; or blocks the firing mechanism forward of a trigger by means of a blocking lug.
Moreover, WO 97/46847 A shows another type of safety device, including a securing part inserted into the barrel, however, with pivotable cams frictionally engaging the barrel interior wall. In WO 97/16693, a locking jaw with its fork end engages a housing surface. According to FR 2 846 737 A, a locking pin projects into a pocket of the housing of a firearm. Similarly, DE 40 09 372 A shows a locking bolt engaging the housing for blocking the metal locking body within the magazine receiver.